Ambassador
As an art educator, I am also very interested in project-based lessons that are cross-curricular, and the stories of Unsung Heroes throughout history fit perfectly. Giving students opportunities to decide who they want to learn about, to stay true to their curiosity, and to lead in their own learning is how you inspire lifelong learning.
Amy Benfer is a mixed-media artist interested in visual storytelling and dissonance. It is natural to see her praxis involving layered media of collage, drawing, and photography; three-dimensional works of artist books and assemblage pieces; and experiments with time-based media such as short experimental films in installation and paper arts. Initially from New York, Benfer earned a B.F.A. in Visual Arts with a focus in Book Arts and a B.A. in Mathematics from Purchase College, SUNY. Exploring her interest in photography, she gained a Certificate in Photography from UCSD and earned an MFA in New Media through an international program at Transart Institute, Donau Universität, Krems in Austria. She is an art educator with 21 years of experience in California and New Jersey, and her work has been exhibited in Pennsylvania, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Berlin, and London, as well as virtually. Her portfolio can be viewed at amybenfer.com. Benfer continues to develop her craft as an artist and an educator. With an artistic background in book arts, darkroom and digital photography, drawing, painting, mixed media, and new media (video installation), she is motivated by her curiosity and by modeling this for her students—to wonder.
